Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many challenges to determinations made in medical assessment findings by ATOS Medical there have been at tribunals  (a) since the start of the ATOS Medical contract and  (b) in the last 12 months; and what the cost of such tribunals has been in each case.

Jonathan R Shaw: Decisions about entitlement to benefit are made by Jobcentre Plus and if an appeal is lodged, it is this decision that is appealed.
	Data on appeals relating to incapacity benefit claims is not held centrally. Detailed information relating to the work capability assessment for employment and support allowance claims in Great Britain is available at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/esa_wca/esa_wca_ arc.asp
	A copy is available in the Library. This report contains details of the number of initial assessments carried out since the introduction of employment and support allowance, a breakdown of the result of the assessment, including the fit for work decision and separate information relating to work capability assessment appeals.
	Information about the number of work capability assessment appeals is in the table.
	
		
			  Work Capability Assessment appeals heard on "Fit for Work" decisions-Employment and support allowance claims to December 2008/Appeals heard by end of December 2009 
			   Number 
			 Appeals heard 8,800 
			  Notes:  1. Includes clerical assessments.  2. Volumes will increase in the coming months as more appeals are processed, giving a more robust picture of appeal volumes and outcomes. It will then be possible to link this information to the Work Capability Assessment data and provide information on proportions appealing.  3. Figure rounded to the nearest hundred. 
		
	
	The Appeals Service and related costs fall under the authority of the Ministry of Justice. I am advised that the average cost for completing an appeal against an incapacity benefit/employment and support allowance decision for 2008-09 is £272.